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Book Review

Review of Shame and Anti-Feminist Backlash: Britain, Ireland, and Australia, 1890–1920

Reviewed by: Jonathan L. Shipe
Author of book: Sharon Crozier-De Rosa
Publisher of book: Routledge, 2018
Published in: Britain and the World
Review of *Shame and Anti-Feminist Backlash: Britain, Ireland, and Australia, 1890–1920*

About This Review

This review examines Sharon Crozier-De Rosa’s transnational study of how shame and related emotions — embarrassment, honor, courage, and chivalry — were deployed against the suffrage movement in Britain, Ireland, and Australia between 1890 and 1920. The review praises the book’s original integration of the history of emotions with feminist and imperial history, while noting that coverage of Ireland is sometimes shallow and that reliance on a limited newspaper base leads to repetition. Ultimately, the review recommends the book for scholars and advanced undergraduate courses.

Author’s Reflections

This was my first professional book review, and I found the experience genuinely difficult — I wanted to be both fair and critical. I was drawn to the project because of my specialization in gender and British imperialism, and I found Crozier-De Rosa’s use of the history of emotions compelling. One of the challenges in transnational history, as I note in the review, is ensuring balanced coverage across all case studies.

Suggested Citation

Jonathan Shipe, “Book Review: Sharon Crozier-De Rosa, Shame and the Anti-Feminist Backlash: Britain, Ireland and Australia, 1890–1920,” Britain and the World 14, no. 2 (September 2021): 193–195, https://doi.org/10.3366/brw.2021.0375.